‘Ocean’s 8’ vaults to top in theaters with $41.5M opening

“Ocean’s 8,” the female-fronted overhaul of the starry heist franchise, opened with an estimated $41.5 million at the box office, taking the weekend’s top spot from the fast-falling “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

This image released by A24 shows Toni Collette in a scene from "Hereditary." (A24 via AP)

NEW YORK — “Ocean’s 8,” the female-fronted overhaul of the starry heist franchise, opened with an estimated $41.5 million at the box office, taking the weekend’s top spot from the fast-falling “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

At a lower price point and in less fanboy-guarded franchise, “Ocean’s 8” — despite ho-hum reviews — found nothing like the stormy reception than the female-led “Ghostbusters” reboot did on the same weekend two years ago.

Made for approximately $70 million, “Ocean’s 8” and its cast featuring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway, set an opening-weekend best for the franchise, not accounting for inflation. The three previous “Ocean’s” films — starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon, and based on the 1960 original “Ocean’s 11,” with Frank Sinatra — all debuted with between $36-39 million in the last decade.

“We thought we’d come in in the $35-40 (million) range,” said Warner Bros. distribution chief Jeff Goldstein. “Number one, it’s fun. Number two, it hits an underserved audience. Unfortunately, there is just a lack of stories that are aimed right at women.”

Yet the weekend’s three new wide releases were all female fronted.

The horror thriller “Hereditary,” starring Toni Collette, debuted with $13 million, setting a new company record for A24, the indie distributor behind releases like “The Witch” and “Moonlight.” The feature-film directing debut of Ari Aster, “Hereditary” has received rave reviews and been hailed as the year’s scariest movie since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. Either from disappointment or simply because they were stunned from fear, audiences gave “Hereditary” — about a family cursed after the death of its matriarch — a D-plus CinemaScore.

Less successful was “Hotel Artemis,” starring Jodie Foster. The Global Road release, also starring Sterling K. Brown, Dave Bautista and Charlie Day, flopped with $3.2 million in 2,407 theaters. Set in a near-future Los Angeles, “Hotel Artemis” is about a members-only hospital for criminals.

Coming between more massive blockbusters like the recent “Solo” and the upcoming “Incredibles 2” and “Jurassic World,” the weekend was down about 20 percent from last year, according to comScore, when “Wonder Woman” was setting box-office records. But some of the story was still the same.

“There’s a lot of women-powered revenue at the box office in the heat of the summer season,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. “Films featuring female leads are killing it at the box office, but that’s been going on for quite a while.”

One of the early summer’s more breakout hits has been the Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary “RBG,” which has made $9.1 million in six weeks of release through Sunday.

Opening this weekend was another documentary that may prove a similar sensation: the Fred Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.” The Focus Features release grossed $470,000 in 29 theaters for a per-theater average of about $16,000. The film, 99 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, has been acclaimed for its portrait of the man behind “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Focus said two thirds of the documentary’s audience was under the age of 45.

Meanwhile, the troubled “Solo” slid to second place with $15.2 million on its third weekend. It has now grossed $176.1 million, well off its expected pace.

“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” began its international rollout in 48 overseas markets with an estimated $151.1 million, said Universal Pictures. That’s a predictably strong start for a film expected to be one of the biggest of the summer. It opens Friday in China, and on June 22 in North America.

Initial reviews, which came out this week, were mixed for J.A. Bayona’s sequel. But critics were also less thrilled with 2015’s “Jurassic World,” which grossed more than $1.6 billion worldwide.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

Electric Daisy Carnival attendees began to vacate the Las Vegas Motor Speedway starting before 5 a.m., the majority heading south on Interstate 15.

What it's like to skip the lines and fly by helicopter to EDC

What it's like to skip the lines and fly by helicopter to EDC. (Janna Karel Las Vegas Review-Journal)

DJ Steve Aoki visits Las Vegas comic book store

DJ Steve Aoki visits Torpedo Comics in Las Vegas Friday, May 17, 2019, for a signing for his new comic book series "Neon Future." (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @KMCannonPhoto

Las Vegas Smith & Wollensky opens at The Venetian

After 18 years, the Smith & Wollensky location on Las Vegas’ south Strip closed in 2017, to be re-born two years later with a rib-cutting — instead of a ribbon-cutting — in The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. (Heidi Knapp Rinella/Review-Journal)

Colin Cantwell, Creator Of Iconic Star Wars Ships Visits Vegas

Colin Cantwell, who created and designed such "Star Wars" ships as the X-Wing fighter, and Death Star, met fans at Rogue Toys in Las Vegas today. (Mat Luschek / Review-Journal)

Dozens of chefs representing some of the Strip’s top restaurants gathered Thursday at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to launch the 2019 edition of Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appetit. (Al Mancini/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Bunky the Clown at the clown convention

Bob "Bunky the Clown" Gretton talks about his life as a clown and the Clown Convention which was in Las Vegas at Texas Station this week. (Mat Luschek / Review-Journal)

Frying soft-shell crab at Lola’s in Las Vegas

At Lola’s: A Louisiana Kitchen in Las Vegas, soft-shell crab is breaded and fried and served either as an appetizer, po’boy or platter. Heidi Knapp Rinella/Review-Journal

There are plenty of events going on May the 4th this year around Las Vegas. Celebrate Star Wars and Comic Book Day all at once. The Rogue Toys, the 501st, Rebel Legion and Millennium Fandom Bar are all hosting fun events to help celebrate your geek-dom. (Mat Luschek / Review-Journal)

Las Vegas Water Sports Introduces New Attraction At Lake Las Vegas

Las Vegas Water Sports will debut its new aqua park attraction at Lake Las Vegas Days this weekend. (Mat Luschek / Review-Journal)

The M, Park MGM and NoMad are just a few great pools in Las Vegas. (Mat Luschek/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Jose Andres explains Iberico pork

(Al Mancini/Las Vega Review-Journal)

Inside Life is Beautiful

Craig Asher Nyman explains how Life is Beautiful festival is booked and talks about this year's line-up. (Jason Bracelin/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Tattoo'd America Pops Up In Vegas

Tattoo'd America, a new pop-up attraction on the Linq Promenade, had their grand opening Friday. The attraction is dedicate to the culture of tattoos. (Mat Luschek / Review-Journal)

Jose Andres gets key to the Strip

Chef Jose Andres was presented with a Key to the Las Vegas Strip and a proclamation declaring April 26 Jose Andres Day in Clark County by County Commissioner Tick Segerblom on Friday. The ceremony took place at his restaurant Bazaar Meat in the SLS Las Vegas. (Al Mancini/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender runs Thursday, April 18th through Sunday, April 21st with a huge car show on Saturday featuring The Reverend Horton Heat, The Delta Bombers and The Coasters. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Brownie sundae at VegeNation in Las Vegas is completely vegan

Donald Lemperle, chef/owner of VegeNation in Las Vegas and nearby Henderson, NV, makes his sundae with ice cream made with coconut and almond milks, a brownie made with coconut flour and oil and organic sugar and cacao, and fresh fruit. (Heidi Knapp Rinella/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

The box office has a new king and his name is John Wick. The third installment of the hyper violent KeanuReeves franchise has taken the top spot at the North American box office and ended the three-week reign of “Avengers:Endgame.”